A digital world with my ideas, tips, and creativity.

Why You Should Choose Your Battles

Ever since I can remember, I was that little girl who stood up for what I believed in. Some saw it as being stubborn or difficult, I saw it as “just raising my opinion”. When you had something to say to me, I was quick with a witty response. And I’m not saying I’ve changed completely, but I now know it’s sometimes better to just entertain someone’s idea.

It’s Aristotle who said,

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

When you choose your battles, it’s more than just avoiding conflict. It means that you’re selective of the problems and confrontations you engage with. Instead, you invest yourself in the arguments that are worth it for the success of your relationships, work, and life.

Here is what I’ve learned about why it’s better to choose your battles:

NOT ALL PROBLEMS ARE “CREATED EQUAL”

Let’s be honest. Some problems aren’t important and won’t matter in the long run. And that goes the same for some people and their opinions. It sounds harsh, I know. But at the end of the day, you have to put yourself first.

Let’s take rude people as an example. While an encounter with them isn’t ideal, you can choose to not be weighed down by them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still important to stand up for yourself! But ask yourself whether it’s worth it or not; bringing me to my next point.

THE PRICE TO PAY IS BIGGER THAN THE REWARD

Some problems may seem pressing at the moment, but the price you’re going to have to pay is too expensive. If the reward doesn’t outweigh the costs, it’s just not worth it!

The reality is, there are quite a few people out there who can’t see the bigger picture and to argue with them is like convincing a brick wall to move. And battling such problems will only waste your time and energy! So you should rather choose battles where the benefits outweigh the costs.

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME AND ENERGY

In an ideal world, we would solve everything. But in today’s world, we only have limited time and energy. We don’t want to waste that time on things that don’t matter.

For a long time, I would try and convince people (who are set in their ways) to see the bigger picture. Being so consumed with proving them wrong, I ended up too upset or too tired to spend energy on the people that were important to me. Now, by choosing my battles, I help conserve my resources for what really matters.

To make life easier, you need to choose the battles that carry the most benefits for your happiness and not your ego. Put your focus on the big things that can help you win this thing we call life. I promise you, when you choose your battles, you choose happiness.